1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to automated devices used to clean pools of surface debris and, more particularly, to an automated pool skimmer apparatus having a weir in an inlet at an upper end of a main housing, at least one submersible pump in a bottom portion thereof, and a removable filter screen disposed between the weir and the at least one pump wherein water and floating debris are drawn over the inlet weir, into the filter where the floating debris is captured, and the filtered water is discharged through an adjustable direction nozzle to create a current within the pool that will circulate more of the pool water into the housing.
2. Background Art
A conventional method for removing the surface debris is to manually remove the debris with a net; however, this can be a very laborious and time consuming process. Another conventional method of removing surface debris of debris is accomplished by skimmers, integral debris-collection net s, and automated pool cleaners, however, most of these devices lack the capability or power to adequately circulate water throughout a pool. Adequate water circulation is very important because the more debris circulates throughout a pool that is being cleaned, the more likely it is that the debris will come in contact with the filtering or cleaning device. Furthermore, if a pool cleaning device has a small debris-collection net, then it will need to be cleaned frequently in order to maintain the efficiency and cleaning ability of the device. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an automated pool cleaning device that is adapted to create adequate water circulation throughout a pool in order to maximize the efficiency of the pool cleaning device.
There are several patents directed toward pool skimmer devices of various construction. The following are several examples.
Heinlein, U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,327, discloses a swimming pool surface debris skimmer and method wherein surface debris on a swimming pool is floated toward and into a skimmer pocket and directed toward an overflow. A skimmer bar projecting generally obliquely toward the direction from which normal circulation of water in the pool takes place defines, with the adjacent pool side, the pocket for receiving and directing the debris. The skimmer bar has a bracket for mounting the bar removably to project from the side of the pool adjacent to the overflow outlet.
Beers, U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,767, discloses a swimming pool skimming apparatus for removal of surface debris from the water surface of swimming pools, which includes a buoyant tube arrayed along its entire length with a fibrous absorbent material affixed at each of the extreme ends of the tube. The entire central portion of the material between the extreme ends is permitted to hang loose and unfettered. The skimming apparatus is swept along the pool and then wound one end inside the other until the inner circle has been reduced to a diameter of two or three feet thereby concentrating the density of the debris which then can be easily removed.
Pamperin, U.S. Pat. No. 7,455,767, discloses a device for gathering debris floating at or near the surface of a swimming pool. The device has a spray head assembly releasably installable in front of an in-wall skimmer on a side of the swimming pool, the spray head assembly comprising a connector through which a pressurized flow of water is receivable from an external source. An inlet duct assembly is pivotably connected to the spray head assembly, and an elongate debris collection bag is releasably attachable to the inlet duct assembly. The collection bag extends into the pool at or near the water surface and substantially perpendicular to that portion of the pool wall adjacent to the spray head assembly. At least one water outlet is disposed distally from the inlet duct assembly.
Goggin, U.S. Pat. No. 7,727,387 discloses a swimming pool skimmer pump assembly that operates independently of, but is connected with, a pool filter and pump assembly. The apparatus includes a sealed electrical pump assembly that uses a rotatable magnetic assembly inside the sealed pump body. A magnetic impeller fits within the pump body and rotates in response to rotation of the magnetic assembly inside the sealed pump body. This creates a water flow forcing water out of the bucket assembly in contrast to using a filter pump to suck water through the bucket assembly as in conventional technology. Because each pool skimmer operates independently of others and of the filter pump, they may be located without regard to filter pump efficiencies. Moreover, the suction created is not enough to create a health hazard for users, especially small children.
Norberto, III, US Published Patent Application 2015/0247330, discloses a floating pool skimmer that randomly travels across the surface of a pool to ensure that the entire surface of the water in the pool is cleaned. The floating pool skimmer has an elongated hose that attaches to a conventional fixed pool skimmer, a vacuum inlet and/or a vacuum hose connecting an automatic pool vacuum to a pool pump and filter. A basket held within a main housing strains water and traps debris which is held in the basket by suction from the pool filter while the pool filter is operational. When the pool filter is not running a floating weir and/or one or more weir doors prevents debris from floating back out of the basket and into the pool. Apertures located on the main housing allow water into the main housing that then acts as a ballast to ensure the floating pool skimmer remains upright at all times.
Norberto, III, et al US Published Patent Application 2015/0247331, discloses a floating pool skimmer that randomly travels across the surface of a pool to ensure that the entire surface of the water in the pool is cleaned. The floating pool skimmer has an elongated hose that attaches to a conventional fixed pool skimmer, a vacuum inlet and/or a vacuum hose connecting an automatic pool vacuum to a pool pump and filter. A basket held within a main housing strains water and traps debris which is held in the basket by suction from the pool filter while the pool filter is operational.
Norberto, III, et al US Published Patent Application 2015/0247332, discloses a floating weir basket having a perimeter wall, the perimeter wall has an inner surface, an outer surface, an upper edge surrounding an upper opening and a lower edge surrounding a lower opening. At least one floating weir inlet is located on the perimeter wall of the floating weir proximate to the upper edge of the perimeter wall, and a basket extends downward from the floating weir that strains the water passing through the at least one floating weir inlet to capture debris and prevent debris from passing through the basket.